Viewers and critics alike have raved about a new BBC adult sitcom about a quadriplegic woman, which contains some highly explicit sexual scenes for its depiction of disabled people’s stories.
Fans of hit new show We Might Regret This have raved about the “funny, witty and tense” show which was created by Toronto-born artist Kyla Harris, who moved to the UK about 10 years ago.
Kyla, who co-wrote and created the show with her longtime friend Lee Getty, uses a wheelchair and has partial use of her arms.
Though fictional, the series is inspired by some of the experiences the two friends shared when Lee worked as Kyla’s personal assistant decades ago, a job she took shortly after meeting (and which they now describe as a “total risk”), but which ultimately led to a strong bond.
Lee does not appear on screen, but Kyla does, playing Freya, a Canadian artist in her 30s and quadriplegic who has moved to London for 50-something lawyer Abe (played by Darren Boyd) with whom she has a rapidly evolving relationship and the two move in together.
Fans of the hit new show We Might Regret This have raved about the “funny, witty and tense” show created by Toronto-born artist Kyla Harris, who moved to the UK about 10 years ago. Kyla Harris (pictured, left) playing Freya in We Might Regret This with fellow actress Elena Saurel (who plays her friend and personal assistant Jo)
Social media has been impressed not only by the show’s wit (some have hailed it as “the BBC’s most intelligent and witty comedy since Fleabag”) but also by its masterful handling of disabled love stories.
“It’s about adult friendships, romance and it’s done with a disabled lens,” wrote one. “I’m so happy to see this on screen.”
“It’s an interesting show!” added another. “There are some very well developed characters and I like that the disability is a secondary element of the story and not the starting point of every plot.”
A third agreed, writing: “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for a story like that… with disability representation and romance.”
Meanwhile, critics have praised the show as a “raunchy rom-com about disabilities that knows no bounds” as well as “witty television that’s totally liberating to watch.”
The Telegraph’s Jasper Rees was very impressed by the show’s punchy dialogue, while the Guardian was very positive in its review of the cast.
Elsewhere, The Times praised the comedy’s laugh-out-loud moments, while The Independent praised its handling of emotionally complex themes.
The swashbuckling series immediately shows viewers that it isn’t afraid to push boundaries, with the first episode opening with a sex scene between Freya and Abe. However, the moment is ruined when a personal assistant enters the room.
Fans of the hit new show We Might Regret This have raved about the “funny, witty and tense” programme. Pictured: Kyla Harris and Darren Boyd
Social media has been impressed not only by the show’s wit (some have hailed it as “the BBC’s most intelligent and witty comedy since Fleabag”), but also by its masterful handling of disabled love stories.
During the first few minutes of the program, Freya’s personal assistant asks her invasive questions about whether she has feeling “down there.”
This is something Kyla has experienced in her real life, as she discussed on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour.
Speaking about how she hopes the programme can help people better understand disability, Kyla said: ‘I’m a wheelchair user… I need help with daily activities and personal care.
‘For example, I need people to open the door for me or help me urinate, and for that I need 24-hour care to help me with that.’
She went on to explain the misconceptions, prejudices, and ableism that affect disabled people every day.
“We Might Regret This is hopefully an antidote to that,” Kyla continued. “Lee was my personal assistant on and off for 10 years.”
In a BBC interview to promote the series, Kyla explained this idea further, saying: “A lot of what we see on screen about disability is made by non-disabled people, they are often stories of tragedy or inspiration and they really shape how people view disability, both for non-disabled people and how disabled people internalise stories about themselves.
‘Given that disabled people are the most underrepresented group on and off screen, we really want to help change the way people currently define disability and the disability experience.’
THE TELEGRAPH
Giving it four stars out of five, Jasper Rees of The telegraph I enjoyed the show’s compelling dialogue and unapologetic honesty.
“The writing, racy and edgy, is most starkly truthful when it portrays what seems rooted in lived experience: when Freya embraces freedom in a motorised wheelchair, for example, or when she works as a model and her disability is exploited by able-bodied but empty-headed people,” the critic said.
‘As for the casual nudity, which is rare in TV sitcoms, it seems like a defiant way to normalize disability. That and all the touching scenes involving his urethra.’
THE GUARDIAN
The Guardian He also gave the comedy four out of five stars, calling it “very funny” and also intelligently written.
Frances Ryan added that the show is equally strong in its stellar cast, who perfectly nail the dynamics between the characters.
“There’s Abe’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Jane (played with fantastic dryness by Sally Phillips), and their disobedient son,” the critic explained.
‘Levi (Edward Bluemel), who’s busy trying to get into bed with Jo. Some of the funniest early scenes come from Freya’s outgoing personal assistant Ty (Aasiya Shah), who plays a “well-meaning but useless” with aplomb. Some of the humour comes from the way their relationship subverts the way we’re often told to treat disability and care.
‘Freya is not a helpless figure who is portrayed as lucky to have a carer. She is an adult in control who is increasingly exasperated by her employee (“She’s going to make me commit a crime”).’
THE TIMES
Carol Midgley from The times gave the show four out of five stars, saying you’ll find yourself laughing out loud within seconds of the first episode.
She also expressed how well the format works, thanks to Freya being the “perfect main character.”
“She’s smart and witty, but she can also be moody, just like Abe,” the review reads.
‘The therapy sessions with Abe and his ex Jane (Sally Phillips) are brilliantly written and acted. They are there to talk about their grief over the death of their son and Jane says she is “bored.”‘
THE INDEPENDENT
The Independent’s Nick Hilton praised the show’s ability to drive emotional stories in a smart, well-paced manner, giving it four out of five stars.
These scenes are not only well developed, but are excellently placed in the comedy.
Nick also added that stories where disability takes center stage are “relentless but accessible.”
“This is not a story of incidental disability: Freya’s tetraplegia is the narrative force that governs the situation,” he explained.
“He’s half her age, but he uses a wheelchair,” Jane tells her therapist about her ex-husband’s new partner. “So, you know, there are swings and merry-go-rounds.”
‘In a sea of shows about inclusion, it’s refreshing to see one that embraces exclusivity: the necessary accommodations, the care required, the subtle uniqueness of each person in each position.’
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